Professional Studies Copyright 12/11/13

Copyright

You cannot own an idea only the expression and documentation. Copyright lasts the designer’s lifetime plus 70 years after they decease. This intellectual property can be bought, sold or licenced Copyright does not protect the ides for work, only the work itself is fixed, e.g. in writing. Copyright is difficult with design, one slight change can change a design significantly causing copyright issues, e.g. ready to wear is copied by many high street stores.

Designer Makers and Designers have different copyright issues:

As a designer maker you retain the copyright and can make multiple products with the same imagery. A designer maker must be aware of bigger companies being influenced by you and using your ideas. You must copyright your own work. You must also make sure you are not influenced to the point where copyright may be infringed by yourself in new designs by becoming inspired by/including others intellectual property in the work produced by yourself.

A designer sells an idea or prototype, the copyright fir these ideas or prototype is usually sold. You sell the idea as a designer! By selling the copyright a designer receives a bigger fee. You cannot use the same motifs on different design/garment shapes even if it is a different colour. But if the first motif was printed and used on different designs but changed considerably this is ok.

Tips to avoid copyright issues:

Don’t use images found on the internet or in other published material as they will sue you for copyright, thus use primary work e.g. go and take your own photographs.

Acid are a company associated with intellectual property, also Dacs. Read up on these for more copyright information.

How to copyright work:

On the reverse of your work/photographs/photocopies mark with a ‘c’ with a circle around it ‘©’, your name and date of creation.

Place images in an envelope, seal them and post them to yourself. Keep the sealed envelope with the date and stamp unbroken. This way you can open the envelope in front of a solicitor if copyright issues emerge.

Keep your blog up-to-date so everyone can see when posts were made with the date and time displayed. Images of work on your blog and can also help copyright

Save folders of digital images with titles, such as Autumn/Winter 2013, and date modified will be proof when the work was completed.

Keep a digital log up-to-date including sizes of material, material used etc.

Print photographs with the date in corner or on the reverse.

For more information see the Design council website which explains copyright clearly (designcouncil.org.uk/resources-and-events/designers/guides/legal-issues/)

Professional studies 05/11/13 Trade shows, sales paperwork, presenting yourself and your work

A trade fair..... 

Is a good way to market yourself, there are big events that can be held in exhibition halls, trade shows are international events, product areas are linked to together for better sales,  a trade show is an international platform to sell your work, it’s a great opportunity to meet lots of people, it can also be a social event, it’s a good launch pad for new collections, in trade shows there are too main seasons, for fashion and interior, samples can be shapes, rectangular, or in shape of the garments, you can sell and talk big orders on the stands, there is lots of different markets to sell your work to on the stand, some people will be looking out to see what’s happening, you can apply for trade shows, but sometimes you wouldn't be accepted depending on the ‘look’ the trade show wants. You work doesn't have to relate to trends, some trade shows only sell designs or products some trade shows will mix designer makers and designers together.  In Trade fairs designs can be sold at Indigo, Vision, Surtex, Heimtex, Decorex and Direction. Presentation of my work, buyers is normally employed from companies, I would sell my work at a trade fair price, I will sell my work presented in collections, and qualities must be a high quality. Samples are often goo d to have on show, then the work can be ordered I could also take a brochure of my products, you can put together repeats to show customers how my work could be used as a repeat, I will present all of my work on white paper headers.  It’s very important how you look your stand, you could put business cards on your stand, packing is very important you must be organised I will need good communication skills and I must have realistic time scales.  It’s important I take into account different cultures and different people, Paperwork, how do I want my business cards to looks, invoices, and terms of sale is important would I have order forms, do I off discount for more than one, receipts are important. Have lots of stationary, I.e. black pens, Look at designing a press release in case you are asked for one. After the show I would need invoices, delivery notes, receipts. Funding with trade shows, at college there pay for stand but when you have finished you look at regional funding options, north east finance northeast access to finance, Northumberland business survives, UKTI help fund trade shows and many more.   

Professional studies 22/10/13 Identifying customer markets, Materials and Techniques, Design brief and freelancing and working to commissions time management and difficult clients

Identifying customer markets, Materials and Techniques, Design brief and freelancing and working to commissions time management and difficult clients

A target market is a specific group of customers I would sell my work to. I would be aiming to look at the higher end market. To find out who would be my target market I would look at age/sex/style etc.

The sort of techniques I would look at is embroidery digital print or screen printing I would look at the profit I would make and how much the material would cost me. I would have to check out the market I would sell to this would influence how I would cost my product and how many I would make. If I was been commissioned I would have to look again at costing and look at discussing this with the client. It is very important to look at the budgeting. I would look at where can be cheapest to have my work produced, that maybe different parts of the world.

When working with clients it’s very important to look at ideas together, it’s important to say if changes are made this will cost them, I would need to make sure everyone is happy, I would look at the aims and objectives, where does the client see the work going, how much time is there to complete the project, time management is very important.

Freelancing I could do this independently would I be on a daily or hourly rate, how much I would I charge, I could research different designers and find out how much other people are charging taking into account I am a new designer and my name isn’t out there. The problem with freelancing is I would have to fund all travel costs, it takes a lot of time, it is important to be confident about my work it freelancing alone I would get a 100% of the money. But I would have to chase people up for payments. Independently I could build up good relationships.

I could use an agent but the agent would take a cut, An agent would do the traveling and selling then I could spend all of my time designing there also isn’t a cost form travel and trade shows with an agent but all of the feedback would be second hand, the agent can take a cut of 40/50% of my work it would be good to negotiate a price. It can be hard to find an appropriate agent. Some agents visit trade shows trust would be very important and communication would have to be exceptional.        

How would my client find me I would have to look at advertising, where I display my work, this can be important for getting noticed. I would talk to the client so a good relationship can be established. Every commission should have a brief and a budget which includes a deadline, how will the work be presented always remember a budge, I could create a plan and tick things of as I go, contact the client of there is a problem, keeping on top of time management is very important.  

Getting paid I would need to think do I need any payment upfront will this depend on the project and if I have any money to run with it, I would need to sort out payment times upfront how long can I wait, if I was at the end of the payment date and I haven’t been paid I could send a polite email to remind them. It can help by getting everything in writing, keep a track of email could help in this stage. Have face to face contact often could be through Skype meetings, I would need to listen to the client their maybe fussy I need to remember there are the client.  

Evaluation training!

Today was the last day of training for been an evaluator, (I am going to be evaluating projects for juice festival) my job is to evaluate 6 gallery spaces all by  different artists, an anime event and also a circus event with the influence of art, I really can't wait! 

Professional studies 15/10/13

This week i have been thinking about report topics i have decided as i am going to volunteer at Juice Festive week, it would be a good idea to to base my report on this as its also my work experience for year two, i am going to be evaluating other peoples projects, i have recently taken part in workshops to teach me the skills so i can apply myself to the post professionally i have one more training session to go then i will be class as a 'young evaluate'.

I  have also have spent some of my time researching artists such as Esme winter,Mini Morderns,Rachel Taylor,Jessica Hogarth,Noemi Paul and Alison Willoughby this has extended my knowledge and also inspired my studio work.

From last weeks session i have been researching business plans and financing from businesses i have also been asking my mum for business advice. I feel its important to keep researching for new information that can help me in later life.
   

Professional studies encounter

Today in professional studies we have learnt the following

Its important to include the following in an invoice Invoice ,Name,Contact,Work done,Date,Payment terms,

Customer address, Details 

I also learnt how important it is to have a contract either by you or the company, before you start the job

You must keep up to date with all of with all your work throughout all aspects like business, invoices, contracts, payment ect..  

Here is a costing account example

£25 per hour for studio work, time the cost by 2, then the wholesale price by 2.5 equals the retail price you could sell your work at....

quick post

One of my two final paintings :)